Of Avians and Apoidea
by cypsiman2
Summary: One day, Ven asks Terra and Aqua a rather awkward question.  One whose answers somehow involves the buzzing of insects and the flapping of wings, so to speak.


Of Avians and Apoidea

* * *

"Ah, now that was nice!" Terra said, still rubbing his stomach. "I mean, don't get me wrong, life in the castle is great and all, but I don't think I've ever had a meal that great in my whole life." Terra looked back at the house that he, Aqua, and Ventus had just departed from; they were in a small village called Flight, not far from the castle that was the center of the world known as the Land of Departure, when they come upon Lechaim, his cart irreparably broken. They helped to take his things back to his home, and upon arriving there, his wife Larche insisted that they stay for dinner and she turned out to be someone who didn't take no for an answer. Not that they had much motive to say no once they'd sampled her food, of course.

"I have to agree; when we get back, I'm going to have the castle chef speak with Larche so that he can learn some of her recipes. Doesn't that sound good, Ven?" Aqua looked to the younger boy, and was surprised by the deeply contemplative look on his face. It was then that she remembered that he hadn't said anything at all throughout the dinner. "Ven? Is something the matter?" Both she and Terra stopped walking, signaling to Ventus that they were going to deal with this as soon as possible.

"Well, nothing bad…" Ven's blush was quite pronounced. "Just…you guys saw the baby, right?"

"Baby?" Terra needed a moment, but now he remembered the presence of a crib in the corner, and the occasional soft cooing coming from it.

"Right, Larche said that Pyrus was just a few months old." Aqua said, the memory becoming all the clearer. "What about it, Ven?"

"It's just…" Ven's blush now threatened to burn his face right off. "I don't know where babies come from!" He spoke in one loud rush, as though any slower or quieter and he wouldn't have been able to say it at all. Now he spoke quietly. "That was…that was the first time I can remember ever seeing a baby, and it made me realize that I didn't even know that anymore."

"Oh." Terra eyes were wide open, and when he looked to Aqua, he could see that she was in the same place; they hadn't really thought about it, but they presumed that Master Eraqus, who was like a father to all of them, would have explained this to Ventus. Apparently, he hadn't. "Well, Master Eraqus told us about the birds and the bees, I guess it must have just slipped his mind with you. Don't worry, we'll go have a word with him when we get back."

"Well, why don't you guys tell me?" Ven spoke with the innocence of one who knew not what he was asking of dear friends who were like family to him. "I mean, you guys said you know, so you can tell me yourselves, right?"

Aqua tried to think of a way, but found Ven's logic to be unassailable. "Could you excuse me and Terra for a minute Ven?" He nodded, and so Terra and Aqua took off a safe distance off the road, far enough that they wouldn't have to worry about Ven listening in on them. "Well, I obviously can't be the one to tell him!"

"And what makes you think that I could do any better?" Terra shot back at Aqua. "You're way better at teaching stuff, especially to Ven, he practically hangs on your every word."

"Look," Aqua said as she pinched her nose, "You seem to forget it a lot of the time, but I'm a girl. Do you have the slightest idea how mortifying it was to have Master Eraqus explain it to me was?" Aqua shivered slightly at the memory of it all.

"Okay, you have a point there." Unfortunately, Terra had nothing to follow that up with, and nothing was forthcoming. "Okay, I'll go handle it. Why don't you go on ahead to the castle, and berate Master Eraqus for putting us through this in the first place?"

"Don't worry, I will. And trust me Terra, I'll remember this." She said as she gave him a quick pat on the shoulder, and made her way back up the road to the castle.

"I hope so Aqua." Terra turned back to Ven, and saw him eagerly awaiting his return. "Well, better get it over with."

* * *

"That felt good." Normally, Aqua respected and revered her teacher; it wasn't for nothing that she was known as an honor student. Even so, actual criticism of her master came more easily than she expected, and he did seem genuinely apologetic about his negligence in Ventus's education. As she rounded the corner, making her way to her room, she came upon Terra and Ven. "Ah, hey guys. How'd it go?" She said in as casual a fashion as she could manage, given the nature of the lessons that Terra had just been teaching to Ven.

Ven stared at her, absolutely bug eyed, and bolted for his room without saying a word.

"Eh, heh heh…" Terra's nervous laugh did nothing to distract Aqua.

"What on earth did you tell him Terra?"

"Well, it's like I told you, you're way better at teaching stuff than I am, and Ven just kept getting more and more confused, so I…"

"So you what?"

"I…explained by example."

Silence.

Aqua's face turned a furious shade of red, and she smacked Terra across the face, turning his face even redder.

It was a full week before any of the trio could speak to one another again.


End file.
